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The Springfield College School of Social Work

Preparing Social Workers for Leadership in the 21st Century
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Post-Master's Degree Certificate Program in Advanced Practice with Children and Adolescents

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The Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Advanced Practice with Children and Adolescents provides exciting opportunities for practicing professionals to learn, share, and advance their knowledge of interventions with children and adolescents. This interactive program brings together social workers, professionals in related disciplines, and expert faculty. Download the Post-Master's Certificate Program Application (pdf).

The mission of the Certificate Program is to improve the lives of children and adolescents by developing the skills of professionals who work with them. The program examines the multiple challenges faced by children, adolescents, and families in everyday life. The program draws from cutting-edge knowledge about practice. Participants bring case material for discussion.

The Learning Experience

The weekly class meetings are dynamic and interactive. Experienced faculty make didactic presentations. Students work with faculty to research advanced practice approaches and to present their findings at the final class meeting. Students make case presentations and learn to draw on each other's expertise.
Topics covered include:
  • Interviewing skills with children and adolescents
  • Skills for engaging parents and families
  • Developmental approaches: infancy, toddlerhood, middle childhood, and adolescence
  • The impact of adult mental illness on parenting
  • The influence of race and culture, cultural competence
  • Children with mental illness: Depression, anxiety, pervasive developmental disorders, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, and reactive attachment disorder
  • Trauma and loss
  • Community interventions
  • Counseling boys and male adolescents
  • Domestic violence
  • Psychotropic medication
  • Substance abuse

Structure of the Program

Students may enter the Certificate Program in either January or September. Meetings are held on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Brennan Center, 45 Island Pond Road. Meetings are held for fourteen weeks in each semester.

Program Options

Students may elect to enroll in the program for
  • Fall semester only
  • Spring semester only
  • Both fall and spring semesters
    (needed to earn the certificate)

Application Deadlines

  • Spring semester: January 21
  • Fall semester: September 1

Earning the Certificate

Students earn the Certificate in Advanced Practice with Children and Adolescents once they have completed both semesters of work. Upon completion of the program, students also earn 90 continuing education units awarded by the Springfield College School of Social Work. Students may enroll in one semester at a time and are awarded continuing education units for the classes attended.

Prerequisites

Applicants must possess a master’s degree in social work, nursing, mental health, school counseling, psychology, or a related field. Applicants must be currently working with children and/or adolescents.

Tuition

  • $1100 per semester
  • $30 Nonrefundable Application Fee

Schedules

 Spring 2013 Schedule Fall 2013 Schedule - TBA

Faculty

The faculty who teach in the program work actively with children, adolescents, and their families. Many of the faculty continue to work in practice settings that serve children and adolescents. Faculty who teach in the Certificate Program include:

James Canning, MSW, Ph.D.

specialist in child/adolescent development, autism, counseling interventions with children

Deborah Fein, Ph.D.

specialist in autism spectrum disorders

Joe Gianesin, MSW, Ph.D.

specialist in school interventions, counseling boys, suicide prevention

Efrosini Kokaliari, MSW, Ph.D.

specialist in trauma, adolescent self harm

Lorna Little, MSW

specialist in counseling pregnant teens and young mothers

Henry Matthieu, MSW

specialist in counseling adolescents with criminal histories

Walter Mullin, MSW, Ph.D.

specialist in child/adult mental health, family therapy interventions, child/adult psychotherapy, and suicide prevention

Paul Redstone, MD

specialist in psychopharmacology

Cecilia Singh, MSW, Ph.D.

specialist in child psychological assessment, parent-child attachment

Joyce Taylor, MA, Ph.D.

specialist in service systems in child welfare, children’s mental health, juvenile justice

Francine Vecchiolla, MSW, Ph.D.

Dean, Springfield College School of Social Work

consultant/collaborator with faculty on program development and curriculum design
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